as in thriller
something (as a close contest) that induces much suspense as to its outcome
a presidential election that was one of the great nail-biters of all time
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Recent Examples of nail-biter
Held in Rod Laver Arena, the final was a nail-biter, but in the third set, Keys hit a forehand winner that sealed the deal.
—
Caroline Tien, SELF, 29 Jan. 2025
Taylor appeared nervous in her suite during the nail-biter of a game.
—Marina Watts, People.com, 27 Jan. 2025
Kansas City never looked more mortal than at times this season, yet always prevailed in nail-biter games.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC News, 27 Jan. 2025
Despite early uncertainty, Republicans have largely rallied around him, and the Armed Services Committee recommended his nomination Monday via a nail-biter 14-13 vote.
—Stef W. Kight, Axios, 23 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for nail-biter 
Caroline Tien, SELF, 29 Jan. 2025
Taylor appeared nervous in her suite during the nail-biter of a game.
—Marina Watts, People.com, 27 Jan. 2025
Kansas City never looked more mortal than at times this season, yet always prevailed in nail-biter games.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC News, 27 Jan. 2025
Despite early uncertainty, Republicans have largely rallied around him, and the Armed Services Committee recommended his nomination Monday via a nail-biter 14-13 vote.
—Stef W. Kight, Axios, 23 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for nail-biter
Thesaurus Entries Near nail-biter
Cite this Entry
“Nail-biter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nail-biter. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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